1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercising devices, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved treadmill exercising device which, when not being utilized, may be folded into a compact size for transporting or storing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of treadmill exercising apparatuses is well known in the prior art. As can be appreciated, these devices usually require a substantial amount of space and as such, it is desirable to store the devices when they are not being utilized. In this connection, there have been several attempts to develop treadmill exercising devices which may be easily and efficiently stored when desired. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,279, which issued to J. Cutter on Feb. 15, 1972, discloses a treadmill jogger which includes a collapsible handle and which is further designed to be raised into a vertical position for storage against a wall during periods of non-use. While being a functional solution for storage during periods of user inactivity, the Cutter treadmill is not particularly adapted for easy movement whereby a user thereof could easily transport the treadmill to a separate location.
Another treadmill exercising device of interest is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,257, which issued to B. Moller on Jan. 3, 1978. The Moller treadmill also addresses the storage problem by designing the device for movement between a horizontal operative position and an upright storage position. A cabinet is mounted with the treadmill so that movement of the cabinet to an upright storage position causes the treadmill to also move to the upright position and be concurrently concealed by the cabinet. Again, however, the problem of easily transporting the treadmill to a new location is not addressed.
As such, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for new and improved treadmill exercising devices which address both the problem of storage and portability, and in this respect, the present invention substanially fulfills this need.